Filia's Cup of Tea
by Ishi
Summary: When Filia attempts to take a peaceful vacation, our favorite monster screws it up. What? Something happened to Lina and the gang?
1. Vaca for Iliasamafay

What looked like an intelligent and exceptionally attractive young lady sat at an outdoor table outside a quaint cafe, quietly sipping tea. She was very relaxed that morning, as she had been for sometime. Taking a vacation, she was sure of this now, was absolutely the best thing she could have done in the present situation. Lina Inverse and her gang of lackeys, while usually in progress of eating food ten times their size and incidently destroying villages, were in the part of the anime you don't make a show about. The boring part. Where you travel aimlessly, eating food only two times your size and go through life without ahh, um adventure, shall we say?

Yup, the so-called slow life of the characters. But this is something the writers forgot to write about and totally let it go by them! An adventure not documented? (Well, maybe this isn't an adventure. But it should be written about, because for once that pur--...) Um, well, we shall see about that! (Don't give the plot away Filia!)

Ahem! I, insert author's current pen name, hereby vow to document this down, Filia! So you just keep the teapot flowing. This will become known. I promise! It shall! It will! Upon my soul, body, and heart, I will make it kno--. Uh, whoops. Got a lil' carried away. Okay, Filia, don't hit me with the mace. I'm not Xel--, AGHHH! Sorry, so sorry, so sorry...back to the story, I promise I won't do it again. Heh heh, I won't have to...

Filia was in heaven. Or a place of very close comparison. She had taken a week's vacation and would join the gang again when there was need. Until then, she was enjoying some good ol' R & R in this town. This town was so, so.. wonderful! It was like any other town, make no mistake about that. What she loved about it was what it didn't have. Lina Inverse, trouble, and ...

Filia suddenly tightened her grip on her teacup, breaking its handle. No, she told herself. Just thinking about him only led to him. And having him there would ruin everything. Think positive, he doesn't like that. Pink, pink, pink! Pink, not purple! Uhh, fields of flowers! Black eyed Susans, not violets! Eek, he's black eyed! Sort of, umm... Filia closed her eyes and desperately tried to image beautiful gowns and dresses and lots of flowers without any black eyed Susans OR violets, just trying to keep her mind clear of thoughts of him. C'mon, keep hold of it. Don't think about--! Xelloss suddenly appeared in the chair opposite her. "Filia! You thought?" Filia let her head crash down onto the table and slowly tightened her grip on her cup, crushing it. 'Now who's the masochist?,' she thought sourly to herself. Xelloss smiled at that thought, giving her his happy-eyed countenance. Filia allowed herself to stay in position for a few seconds before she shot up, upsetting her chair. "XELLOSS! YOU PURPLE HAIRED CREEP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Xelloss held his hands up, pretending to try to calm her down. "Now Filia, there's no need to get so upset..." "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?," Filia grabbed mace-sama and pointed it right at his face. "ANSWER ME!" "Why, Filia dearest...you called for me." "I MOST CERTAINLY DID NOT!" Xelloss kept pretending to attempt to calm her, while easily making her angrier. Ahh, did she know what bliss she gave him? All those yummy negative emotions. "But yes you did." "HOW?," asked Filia dangerously. Xelloss spoke sincerely and almost kindly, while struggling not to fall over laughing... "You thought." "I thought..." Xelloss nodded slowly and a little uneasily. She was a bit frightening when she spoke calmly to him. Oh, well, he was a masochist. He would endure this... Filia swung the mace in the high pop position. "MY THOUGHTS ARE NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, NAMAGOMI!" Xelloss succeeded in breaking through the awning above, going straight on course and crashing into a nearby window, where a shocked couple lay in bed, now awake... "Oho! What do we have here?," said Xelloss, grinning at them and ready to tease... "NAMAGOMI, YOU GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU, AND I DON'T THINK MY MACE IS EITHER!" Xellos looked out the window at her, smirking as she trembled in complete rage and teleported in front of her. "Ahh, Filia..." Xelloss moved quickly to safe grounds as she swung hard and heavy. "NAMAGOMI..." Xelloss gave her his happy-eyed look again, which is coming to be known as the "Filia Special", and stuck his tongue out at her. "DIE, NAMAGOMI!" "Oh, you almost had me that time!" "I'M GONNA MAKE YOU PAY DEARLY FOR THIS!" "Well, you're the one who wrecked the cafe..." "IT'S YOUR FAULT!" "Oh, I forgot. Dragons always love to push their problems onto others." To make things shorter, this continued until they were in the town's outskirts. And, may I add, it appears like Filia is very capable of destroying towns by herself, without Lina's or any of the others' help. In any case, after the destruction of yet another innocent and helpless community had been completed, Xelloss stopped giving the Dragon Priestess the chase. Filia was ready for that. She swung Mace-sama above her head. "AHA! I'VE GOT YOU NOW!" ...And she charged. And Xelloss waited until she had just almost reached him, moved to the side and tripped her. Filia landed on her face and lost her mace. (Hey, that rhymes! I'm a poet!) Xelloss was sniggering by that time. "Oh, dear. You should really watch those bumps in the ground." Filia popped up and got ready to transform. "THE ONLY BUMP IN THE GROUND IS GONNA BE YOU, XELLOSS!" Xelloss opened one eye. "Oh, so it's Xelloss now?" Filia's hair swarmed all around her, her jewel-fastening lit up, she became incased in golden light and... Nothing happened. Filia looked down herself. "Huh? What's...?" Filia was about to try again when she heard an odd noise and looked up. There was Xelloss rolling on the ground, scarcely able to laugh, almost choking. "Eh heh heh HEH! EH HEH HEH HEH! EEE HEE HEE....." This sound (which can be compared to fingernails on a blackboard for Dragon Priestesses) continued for about 3 minutes before Filia was even able to move, so rigid in anger. She clenched her teeth, walked over, and soundly gave him a stomp on his head. And continued to stomp on 'poor' Xelloss until he was unparalyzed (Xelloss's fanclub: Poor poor Xelloss... --AHH, SHUT IT! He can do with some pain! He likes it!) Xelloss finally caught her foot and almost had to struggle to keep it from hitting him again. "Lighten up, Filia..." "DON'T YOU GIVE ME THAT, YOU FILTHY MAZOKU! YOU RUINED MY TEA, YOU RUINED MY MORNING, YOU RUINED MY WHOLE DAY! AND NOW I'M GONNA RUIN YOU!" Filia struggled to get her foot out of his grasp, eventually managed it, and was about to give him the beating of his life when, of course, he teleported and appeared with his feet on the ground, rubbing his head, leaving Filia to stumble from missing her mark. "SO YOU TRY TO ESCAPE, YOU FRUITCAKE?" Xelloss continued rubbing his head. "Namagomi, Xelloss, filthy Mazoku, and now fruitcake? Don't you think you're over doing it, Filia?" Filia took a deep breath, mad as ever, and tried to compose herself. "Why don't you just take your punishments like a man, Xelloss?" "Oh please. Like I wanted to look up your dress any longer." Filia's eyes went wide with angry and she ran to retrieve her mace, while "YOU FRUITCAKE" instantly followed her, using his teleportation method. She picked up her mace, turned around and gave a tremendous battle cry. "DIE!!!!!!!!" Fortunately for Xelloss, he was able to grab her arms, instead of his usual approach of playing "Catch That Xelloss." "Fil-i-a, don't you want to know why I'm here?," Xelloss asked, trying not to be harmed as Filia struggled with him. After no immediate success, she gave up. "I DID NOT WANT YOU HERE!" Xelloss became sort of sincere with the "Filia Special" on his face. "Oh, 'course you didn't. I know that--" "THEN WHY DID YOU COME?" "Quiet it down and I'll tell you." Xelloss winked at her.

October 2nd, 2004: We're back in business, baby! I recently bought a set of the major three seasons of Slayers, I've got the desire to finish this fanfic, and I've got some ideas! Let's hope we can keep this rolling. As of this date, more editing has been done, hopefully improving the overall composition of this fic. Don't worry, I'll keep my head in the game..if I can keep a deadline of writing one chapter (or at least working on one), I'll be golden.


	2. School of Dramatics

Filia sat herself down upon a rock of appropriate size, concentrating all her will on the 10 Second method the Dragon Elders had taught her when she was young. Inhale, hold for ichi, ni, san, chi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, kyu, juu..! And your anger will be gone. If not, repeat, holding your breath for 60 seconds. By then, even if the anger's not gone, you'll be too busy dying of asphyxia to care.

Xelloss sat opposite to her in lotus on the ground, very amused with how this scenario was playing itself out. Really, things were moving quick. The attempt at murdering had wound her nearly completely down. Who knew? Soon, perhaps they'd actually get on with the story. (Yeah, get on with the damn story, already! _Alright, people, hold your dragons! –Ish'_)

"Alright, Xelloss. I'm ready to hear you out." And ready to rip that smirk off your face in a record .31 seconds if this isn't good, she thought, exhaling deeply and straightening her posture.

Xelloss's face took on an expressive thoughtfulness. "Well, let me see..just where do I begin with this.."

The Vein painfully throbbed in Filia's forehead. As usual, Xelloss never failed to disappoint when it came to telling a simple story. "Just start from the beginning, Xelloss."

"Well, that's rather hard to, as it just sort of happened.."

"Just give me a jist of the situation, Xelloss."

"Mm..it's so complicated in a way that it's hard to explain.."

A contemplative rub of the chin. A ruthless throb of the Vein.

"I'm asking only for the basics, Xelloss."

"I know, there's a lot to consider though.."

"Bare bones, Xelloss."

"They're tasty bones, to be sure, but.."

"XELLOSS!"

"OKAY, OKAY! LINA AND THE OTHERS HAVE BEEN TAKEN HOSTAGE BY A GIANT SLUG!"

The mace didn't even make it with a foot of the Mazoku, who had been prepared with his hands covering his head to ward off the blow.

"Wha-a-a?" Filia dropped onto her knees beside him, utterly his captive audience.

Xelloss then abruptly found his passion. He felt and he knew, oh did he know that nothing could ever surpass the weight and gravity of this single moment. These remarkable seconds would be imprinted into his mind for all eternity. It was as though everything he had done, everything he had said had been leading up to this very conclusion, this paramount of all epiphanies. It was a beautiful moment and the calling of his life.

Of course, until he set up another significant occasion like this. However, it wasn't the time to be thinking of that. Stand and deliver! He took one shaky breath and began to pour out his tale and into his tale, his heart.

"It all happened so fast..they were heading to a fast food joint for a cornucopia, y'know, just a small snack and suddenly the sky went dark, as though night had come like a storm over the city. People were screaming every where, everything so rushed it's like a blur.. They didn't have a chance, Filia. It was over in less than a minute." He took a moment to let the lump in his throat loosen, as his eyes began to sparkle of tears. "Lina, she was..out of her mind with fright, clinging to Gourry's head like a barnacle. Zelgadis was struck dumb like a stone, well..not that he's much different most of the time..and Amelia..just..just.."

He broke down into sobs, tears and snot mixing as one into a pathetic heaping mess upon Filia. Motherly instincts taking hold, she drew him into a consoling embrace, patting his back and trying to calm him down, murmuring soothingly to comfort him.

"There, there..it's alright, Xelloss, you did everything you could–" She stopped as though a knife had been stabbed into her back. "..You did do everything in your power, right, Xelloss?"

He looked up from her shoulder, no tears or even color in his face as evidence of his apparently hysterical distress.

"Well, Filia, you know my policy of remaining the uninvolved observer during these situations. Someone's has to report to you, you know."

"NAMAGOMI!"

He sighed, parrying her elbow smash to his head. "Yes, Filia, of course, I did everything in my power to try and save them. Honestly though, it happened quite fast. That slug deserves a medal of honor for the act he pulled off."

"Hmph!" She rose, throwing off the hand on her elbow and brushing off her knees.

"I would have thought a strong, high ranking Mazoku such as yourself capable of handling just one giant slug, even a giant slug among slugs, as this one appears to be." She shot him a penetrating glare.

He bowed slightly. "Truly, this was a giant slug among slugs. I assure you, there was little I could."

Filia growled in her throat, sure of his treachery. Giant slugs, my teapot. Even if one actually did appear in the city where she left Lina, Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadis to roam and plunder, there would be no reason for it to take them hostage. And Xelloss, while perhaps preferring not to fight giant slugs of admirable skill, certainly could have defeated it. She sighed. Another peaceful moment of her life, shattered like the delicate happiness it was.

"Tell me, Xelloss," she asked, turning her attention towards him once more, still sitting upon the ground. "What kind of giant slug goes into a huge, bustling city, finds a group of four traveling mercenaries, kidnaps them, and manages to get completely away with all this, in front of you?"

His innocent smile was as crooked as a snake's to Filia. "I shall always fondly remember such a slug. For a moment, I shared Miss Lina's absolute fear of them and was frozen to my spot."

"Which was probably atop some roof, where you devoured the whole scene like a bag of candy." His smile widened and she groaned, but refrained from giving him the satisfaction of her proclamation of anguish. "Well, I suppose that settles it. I shall have to rescue Miss Lina and her company from the clutches of this terrible slug. Good day, Xelloss, I hope you have a lovely time wrecking someone else's vacation while I'm gone." She started the way of the path she had created on the dusty outskirts of the town, only to be stopped by the priest a moment later.

"Now, Filia, you're really going to go all that way to the city where they were kidnaped to follow the sticky trail of the giant slug?"

She squared him off with an icy look. "Like I've got other options?"

He leaned in closer than was comfortable to Filia, who took a step back in response. "I took the liberty of tracking the creature to its lair."

"Many..thanks, Xelloss. If you could just draw me a simple map of where it's located, I would be most obliged. Excuse me." She made to walk past him, but he stopped her again.

"Are you not curious as to why you cannot transform?"

She eyed him warily. First off, he was being too nice and helpful to not be suspicious and secondly, what did he know about her not being able to transform?

"I was going to deal with that later, but if you have any ideas as to why I can't.."

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Sore wa himitsu desu."

Filia fell over in exasperation before popping up once more to assume a menacing pose.

"YOU LITTLE MAZOKU PIECE OF.."

"Now, now, Filia, no need to be so angry all the time. And incidentally, I won't be drawing a map for you."

"How do you expect me to find it otherwise, Nam–," She caught her tongue. "–Xelloss?" Time to try playing nice to get what you want.

He gave her his "Filia Special" look. "You'll find it. Head south." He began to vanish, but she grabbed his arm before he managed to leave completely.

She swallowed nervously, pulling back her arm the moment she touched him. "Just about my, you. You won't let it get around, will you? It was merely..the moment.."

Xelloss smiled reassuringly. "Every detail." He was gone.

And Filia didn't trust him as far as she could throw him.

...ooooooooooooooooooo...(it's my cut - sorry, I can't find anything else to use!)

Tra-la-la! I'm back in business, folks! After 2, 3? years, I've got a storyline figured out and am raring to please.

I would love it if you guys point out anything that bothered you when reading this fic. My writing style, major out of character-ness (I admit, there's some, but you're going to get that with any author), etc.. See, I'm writing the fic for two reasons: One, because I adore Xelloss tormenting Filia, and two, because I need work on my writing. And, really, what better place to do the latter?

So, yes, flames are accepted, if they're constructive. No 'Well, I just don't like it!'s. If you do start a review with that sentence (give or take a few words), please include why.

And speaking of my lovely reviewers, I got some feedback for you!

...ooooooooooooooooooo...

**Rue-chan: **You have suffered. I ought to be tortured. Can we settle it with this chapter and a friendly handshake? Eheh..

**DemonPhoenix9:** I've got the excuse for Filia's not being able to transform in mind. Hopefully, it doesn't fall flat on me.. Thanks for the compliments! My ego just inflated 3 inches (and my IQ just dropped 10 points!).

**Child-of-the-Dawn:** Yep, poor Filia - she gets that 'sore wa himitsu desu' line all the time!

**Ruby Hayashi Canadian Elf: **Can't refuse a Canadian Elf.

**Nobody:** I would thank you, but if I said "Thanks, nobody", people'll think I'm talking to myself. Not that I don't already do that. Ahh, hell..Thanks, nobody!

**Rachel: **Thanks a lot! (With all these nice things said about the fic, I'm getting antsy for a flame!)

**Blissa:** I got your number, Blissa. And I know your name.

**EvilSnickie:** Are you insinuating something?

**Mistress DragonFlame:** Your wish has been my command!


	3. Forest of the Dragon Frogs

"AUGHHHH!"

The shriek came after coming face to face with a face that should never had been viewed in such close proximity.

"SILENCE!," croaked the frog, giving Filia the impression she'd experienced something similar to a rather unpleasant smelling Diem Wing. It wasn't that the frog was considerably frightening or extremely jarring that had caught her off guard. In fact, the frog was like any other..or at least, its lower extremities.

Its head, on the other hand, was 20 times the rest of its body, with the addition of 4 chins that wobbled with every movement it made.

"Yes, sir..," winced the prostrate dragon priestess, almost in a kneel before the abnormally proportioned creature. She added a barely audible, "Please don't eat me", for good measure.

She then experienced what would be properly termed a wind storm as the frog launched into a practiced accusatory speech. "YOU, HUMAN, HAVE BEEN FOUND TRESPASSING IN THE FOREST OF THE DRAGON FROGS. FOR PUNISHMENT OF THIS CRIME, YOU WILL BE BROUGHT BEFORE A COUNCIL OF FROGS FOR THEIR JUDGEMENT. RESISTENCE IS FUTILE AND YOU WILL BE PUNISHED MORE SEVERELY SHOULD YOU ATTEMPT ESCAPING I, TODA, GUARDIAN OF THE FOREST OF THE DRAGON FROGS."

He gestured for her to walk with him, an action that set his chins violently a-wobble, and started hopping away.

"Wait-wait-wait!" Filia ran in front of him, crouching down before him when his expression became one like royalty humoring a petitioning peasant.

"YES?," bellowed the dragon frog.

Filia winced from the volume of his tone and tentatively began to make her plea. "Sir Toda, guardian of the forest of the dragon frogs, I am..um..not a human, first off–"

"YOU ARE NOT A HUMAN?"

"No, I'm a dragon priestess of the--," she started to reply.

"FINE!," announced the frog, in what could be considered a bark. "YOU, DRAGON PRIESTESS, HAVE BEEN FOUND TRESPASSING IN THE FOREST OF THE DRAGON FROGS. FOR PUNISHMENT OF..THIS..CRIME.." His words dropped slowly off, as his glance drew directly level with Filia's for just a moment and beheld her deep blue scared eyes fully.

"DRAGON..PRIESTESS..?" Toda, the dragon frog, was not posing a question, merely clarifying for his own sake. Peering intently, he slowly hopped around Filia, examining her from all sides, leaving the dragon priestess to only wait in confusion and uncertainly.

When he faced her once more, Toda, Guardian of the Forest of the Dragon Frogs looked at her through changed eyes. Froggy little Cupid had strung his froggy little bow and shot a froggy arrow through Toda's froggy three-chambered heart. It was dragon love.

"Eheh..nice froggy," Unnerved, Filia awkwardly reached out and patted the frog on its massive head, pulling back with another shriek of horror when the frog responded by fawning, rubbing its head against her hand like a dog begging for attention.

She looked at him in absolute shock. He looked at her in absolute adoration. After an almost timeless moment..he began emitting his mating call.

Filia immediately blushed a vibrant scarlet red, which gradually transmuted into a dark shade of purple, as an unseen gear whirled hastily in her head, translating the frog's intentions. The Vein began throbbing steadily. The Mace emerged and was put into position.

"HENTAI FROG!"

...ooooooooooooooooooo...

"Now listen, you despicable little scum! Either you can tell me the way out of this maze of a forest or you can be the first frog to ever be made frog paste of!" The frog cowered beneath the dragon priestess's menacing glare. Her mace was still out and pointed at his head, which had been unfortunate enough to sustain four beatings already, not including the collision with a nearby tree while he was airborne. It was, as they say, hard love. "Your decision?"

The frog slowly stopped his trembling to lift his head, his buoyant chins continuing to shake slightly, but hope still fresh in his heart. His eyes met hers and reminded him of what he had fallen in love with from the start..yet again.

"YES?," scowled Filia impatiently.

Toda's eyes shined. "MARRY ME?," he croaked.

"NO!" Filia's patience had been stretched and broken once more. "HOW..SMACK!..MANY..SMACK!..TIMES..SMACK!..DO I..SMACK!..HAVE..SMACK!..TO..SMACK!..TELL YOU..SMACK!..NOT TO ASK ME THAT?..SMACK!..SMACK!"

The dragon priestess stepped away from the nearly unconscious frog, panting with the effort of trying to establishing the boundaries of outer-specie love. She was unaware another had joined this happy pair until he spoke.

"Oh, a dragon frog? Your pet, Filia?," inquired Xelloss, peering over her shoulder at the broken creature in front of her.

"..No, Xelloss." There was plenty more she had to say to him, specifically where he had been for the past three days while his directions to "head south" had wound her up in a forest apparently full of a rare breed of frogs, but, unfortunately, that was all she could manage at present.

Xelloss put his hand to his chin, a victim of supposed deep thought. "Ah!" He suddenly snapped his fingers. "Your newest boyfriend?"

"RIBBIT!"

"NO!"

Though Xelloss dodged the mace, the dragon frog received the blow full-fledged. He eyed Filia resentfully, affections beginning to fade as her newly found adrenaline launched her into speech, weapon charging her accused.

"How many times do I have to pound it into your head, Froggy? I don't care if you are a "dragon" frog, it has nothing to do with the fact that I won't marry a slimy, loud, and unattractive creature such as yourself! I'm sorry if your feelings have been hurt because of me, but it's not something I plan on ever doing! Accept it!" She whirled around to address Xelloss. The words ready to fly out of her mouth, however, were cut short by the frog setting up a deafening siren as soon as her back had turned.

Filia quickly laid him out cold, but saw (or rather heard) that the damage had been done instantaneously. From all sides of the woods surrounding the trio, noises, loud and soft, started up.

As the sound increased, she could distinguish the cacophony to be various tones and volumes of "Ribbit!", all becoming louder every second. A large shadow extricated itself from the already dark shadows of the forest. From the woods, the biggest and ugliest frog ever to beheld in existence appeared suddenly.

Filia fainted dead away.

...ooooooooooooooooooo...

Eh, sorry about the wait on this chapter - I was trying to complete a chapter each week, only to have my regime screwed with because of my birthday. (Three days of hardy-partying and your schedule really does fall to crap, I found!)

Couple things I want to address quickly. One being that..I haven't watched Slayers Try in over a year, which explains away (hopefully) any straying from the context of the anime that may have been present so far.

In even better news, in addition to not watching Try in a year, I've only seen the first 8 episodes! BWAHAHA..I'm such a friggin' nut..

Now don't fret about me not knowing what the hell I'm doing - I've got the first three seasons in their entirety now and I just finished Next, which, incidentally, was (expletive) awesome! Even though I haven't see Try fully, I think I'm going to conclude that Next was the best of the three, despite having Noonsa, the Flaming Fish Man in the first series, whom I am paying small tribute to in this chapter, if you notice the subtle insinuations..(or any at all, for that matter).

So, now that you know my slowly evolving predicament, I'm sure you all understand why I've been posturing Filia as a blonde Ayeka from Tenchi Muyo!. Despite Ayeka being from a utterly different show, I think it worked out well.._I think_..

Second matter on my mind: WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE GIANT SLUG? I happen to find him/her/it very..interesting, to say the least!

Yeah, you're absolutely right, I had writer's block or perhaps a slight episode of insanity. (BWAHAHA - I'm still a friggin' nut.)

Makes me wonder..if you guys reacted like Lina does to a giant slug..just what's gonna be the reaction to these dragon frogs, eh? (Oh, I'm eagerly waiting the response on THAT one!)

**Reviewer R'n'R:**

**Charatka**: Eh heh, hope you don't have giant-slug-aphobia.. Thanks for the kind words!

**Kaeru** **Soyokaze**: I find Xelloss and Filia to be the most unusual couple of all in Slayers. Of course, Amelia and Zelgadis is an odd-working match too, but the scenes you can think up with Xel and Filia..ahh, just wipe up the competition effortlessly. (And your hope has been rewarded!)

**ReianaTreasure Huntress**: Aughh, I haven't practiced my Japanese in years! Time to crack open the ol' dusty dictionary after I'm done here. Don't worry, I think I get the gist of your comment: Your story's intriguing, but your imagination can be compared to that of a psychiatric ward occupant. Arigato, my fine reviewer!


	4. Punishment

"..If your mind has been made up, Majesty, surely I will not question you, but I ask again to please take pity upon the girl.."

"_...I am decided and my decision is final..._"

"..I plead for leniency, Majesty, but if you shall not oblige, I will cease my plea.."

"_...I shall not oblige you, Master Xelloss..._"

The drifts of conversation coincided with the pounding of Filia's head. She had the sensation she was underwater or, at least far, far away from where ever she laid. Beneath her, the ground swirling and spun as if it were not solid. Pain slowly doubled as she regained consciousness, and only gradually did she become aware of approaching footsteps and someone shaking her shoulder, calling her name.

"Filia..Filia, wake up."

With difficulty, she succeeded in opening her eyelids, only to squint slightly as her environment was so dark. Pupils still focusing to distinguish light and shadow, she made out the form beside her.

"Xelloss..? Where am I?"

"In the forest of the Dragon Frogs still, I'm afraid." His voice betrayed an amused smile. "I must say, the inhabitants of this forest aren't very happy with you."

Filia groaned, struggling to sit up against a tree she had lain close to. She rubbed her eyes wearily and replied in a dry voice, "I didn't think they would be. What's been going on?"

"Your punishment's been decided. My attempts at persuading them to let you free or at least to go easier on you haven't been very successful."

"Ugh.." She tried massaging her aching head. "At this point, I don't care. They can do whatever they want to me as long as I can finally leave this place afterward."

"I'll inquire about the way out." He rose and left her side. Bigger fish had still to be fried.

"DRAGON PRIESTESS, YOUR CRIME HAS BEEN JUDGED AND YOUR PUNISHMENT DECIDED,"a throaty voice rumbled, causing Filia to clamp her hands over her ears. "ARE YOU READY TO SHOW PENITENCE?"

"Yes, only don't speak so loud," replied the dazed and already hearing-sensitive priestess.

"SO BE IT. LET YOUR PUNISHMENT BEGIN," the voice replied, not a bit lower.

Underneath her, Filia became aware of tremors of the ground as something obviously very heavy moved towards her, each footfall shaking the forest floor. Suddenly, a light was struck and Filia found her face in very close proximity with a great pair of lips.

"PUCKER UP."

With a scream of horror, Filia packed unknown power into a punch and let it fly without thinking.

Gasps of frogs all around her immediately were heard as the light from a few moments before extinguished. There was a hushed silence, then an abrupt proclamation.

"..SHE LAID OUT THE KING!"

A flurry of croaking broke out in dark as apparently the Dragon Frog King was examined. The noise epically fell silent, however, as the clearing was soon lit up by the red light of the dragon priestess's inexorable and easily piqued rage.

"..YOU HENTAI FROGS THINK YOU CAN JUST STRUT AROUND, OWNING THIS FOREST AND TRYING TO PUSH RIDICULOUS PUNISHMENTS ON WHO DARES TREAD ONTO YOUR PRECIOUS PROPERTY." A few frogs visibly shivered. "WELL, YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET A RUDE AWAKENING IN THAT DEPARTMENT. A PAINFUL RUDE AWAKENING, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE TRESPASSER WHO REALLY KNOWS HOW TO ENJOY FROG LEGS, MORNING, DAY..OR NIGHT."

In short summarization, the evening became known as the tribe of the Forest of the Dragon Frogs' last.

...ooooooooooooooooooo...

"Well, Filia, you certainly taught those frogs a lesson they'll soon not forget," commented Xelloss cheerfully, as the two walked a path, still in infamous woods. "If any are still alive," he added, on an afterthought.

Several steps behind him, Filia softly groaned, hand on the side of her head, suffering the most painful migraine she had ever known. "Anger..overload..," she whispered slowly, as to not aggravate her already intense ailment.

"Certainly! Even I didn't plan everything to turn out that antagonistically," replied Xelloss, walking backwards to talk to her.

Filia stopped dead in her tracks. "..Plan?" She swallowed, to ease her throat's dryness. "You PLANNED that whole fiasco?"

The mazoku simply smiled at her, continuing to walk backwards.

"XELLOSS! I can't believe you set that whole thing up!," growled the dragon priestess, clenching her teeth in anger. I can't believe I also fell for it, added a voice in her head, woefully. When am I ever going to stop playing into his schemes..?

Xelloss, without so much as a pause to change direction, smoothly walked back to where Filia still stood, wording her short-comings to herself.

"Now, Filia," he admonished her, "Who's to say you wouldn't have figured a way out of the situation on your own, in time? At most, I merely nudged you along."

She quirked a tense eyebrow at him, not very much the convinced party, but sighed and conceded. "Well, I suppose I should thank you then, Xelloss. It's true, I would have eventually gotten away from those frogs, though, as you said, in a matter of time." Too tired to care for much longer, she quickly curtsied, eyes closed as a sign of modesty. "At least I never had to kiss that frog king.."

Sighing again, she began massaging her temples and resuming her walk. Abruptly, she stopped short once more. "Xelloss, you didn't arrange for the frog king to–"

"Ahh, I knew these directions would eventually pan out!" Xelloss, having moved quickly while Filia was in a lull, neared the end of the forest, light sifting through its edging leaves to proclaim a beautiful morning. He waved back at her. "Come on, Filia, the forest ends here!"

She groaned again, more with frustration and exasperation than with pain at the predictability of one of Xelloss's character aspects. Wincing at the steady throb of her ache, she glanced quickly back at the dense nature behind her and started forward.

She looked back again instantly, certain she had seen a pair of golden eyes somewhere among the thicket. However, the wood was still and innocent.

"Fi-li-a!"

She glared suspiciously at the trees and greenery all around her and heaved another sigh.

"Coming, Xelloss, Mr. Disappear-for-three-days-then-play-matchmaker-for-a-person-who- would-love-nothing-than-to-permanently-alter-your-annoying-face-everytime-she-sees-it.." She continued her walk and soon left the forest behind.

...ooooooooooooooooooo...

Decided to split the last chapter into two for reader's convenience. Yeah, the abrupt change in pace from short chapters to one of about 2000 words shocked even me. (Plus, you guys weren't reviewing and I wondered what had become of you - mass Slayers fan obliteration?)

Next chapter'll be coming up shortly, in which everything will be explained by The Informer (also known as Xelloss, the perpetual fly in Filia's tea).


	5. Split

One thing Filia was sure of: The mazoku priest who sat opposite her at a small table outside a grand-looking and sumptuous café in what was considered a fairly average town in the Slayers world was the most annoying creature in existence.

He was like trying to kill a fly, fast and sneaky. You strike at this fly and think you've got him. You lift up your flyswatter, you open your hand, you remove a heavy object from the wall at which you threw it, whatever means you enacted to catch him, and by all mysteries of the universe that fly is not there. Makes you wonder if flies are in fact the superior race and they've just been leading us on for the past millennia into thinking they're simply frustratingly hard to kill. Xelloss was like that. Whether you're trying to pin him down physically or merely attempting to extort him for information, he was as devious as the fly. No matter what strategy you took to trap him, he was always one step ahead.

The dragoness sighed into her tea and addressed the issue of her pursuit once more.

"Don't you think it is time you shared with me your thoughts on who was behind Lina's kidnaping, Xelloss?"

Xelloss was admiring the surroundings from his seat. The town was clean, neat, orderly. A perfect target for creating disturbance if that is your goal. Eye candy if you've tamed your destructive ways for the time being.

He glanced at Filia. "What makes you so certain the kidnapper was under someone's direction?"

The mocking query would have had more effect on a rock. "Somehow, I doubt a slug, however massive, has that capacity of brain power. Surely you must have some suspicion as to who might have organized it?"

"While I do have a few people in mind, none seem to fit this particular picture, so I shall speak no evil of any person as of now." His reply was amiable, but spoken to end the matter.

Filia, however, persisted. "However minor or premature your thoughts, don't you think it proper to discuss them with me?" She smiled as though this was trivial matter, both knowing the actual importance of it. "After all, I am your partner, of sorts, in this unfortunate placement."

He laughed, feigning politeness. "No, no, I shall make none of my suspicions known until I have sufficient reason to do so." He continued in a lower tone. "And I consider this 'unfortunate placement' to be more of me helping you than us being partners, Filia."

"You mean if I wasn't around for you to guide me, you would have made no sort of action to come to Miss Lina's aid?" Filia laughed, knowing this was exactly the case.

"..It all depends on the circumstances, of course."

The priestess's smile was well placed, but she betrayed her tact by speaking rather sardonically. "Ah, you mean, if Miss Lina and her consorts are of no use to you at the time, you would leave them to struggle their own way out of captivity or possibly die?"

Xelloss's smile was also fooling, though his voice began to hold malice. "No more than you would, Filia, should Miss Lina lose her usefulness to fulfilling your prophecy to avert destruction to the world."

"You flatter yourself too much, Xelloss. I am not a manipulating mazoku such as yourself."

The mazoku priest's grip tightened on his cup, breaking it. On the other side of the table, Filia miserably failed at trying not to look smug.

Xelloss, however, regained his composure too quick for her to savor her small success, crossing his arms now that he had nothing to hold. "You flatter your race too much, Filia. As you know, the dragon race is also well-noted for always being very manipulative in obtaining their goals." He smiled for a moment. "This, of course, you are still learning."

Filia's facade shattered simultaneously as her cup of tea. She jumped to her feet, leaning over the table and gripping it at both ends, unconsciously preparing to lift and throw it.

"Why so evasive, Namagomi, unless you had something to hide?" Her voice was low fury.

Xelloss quickly stood as well, bringing their faces even closer together.

"If you didn't always typically mistrust generosity for an ulterior motive, Filia, perhaps I wouldn't appear so evasive! As though you also weren't hiding something!" His eyes were open, but narrowed.

"I don't know what you mean," she growled, her own eyes slitted.

He smirked. "I notice you haven't pressured me about why you can't transform."

A blush of scarlet touched her cheeks. "Perhaps because I've deemed a matter not of your concern any longer, _Namagomi_."

Xelloss's smirk transmuted into a simple baring of his teeth. "Or perhaps–"

He was cut off by loud commentary from a member of the audience the two had drawn unknowingly.

"Yes, I've seen it a hundred times before. They quarrel, they rage, and then they get into that position there, with their eyes locked, only inches from each other's face, see that there?" A tall analytical-looking man who easily could have been a local psychologist, though out of his time, was explaining the situation to an frail old woman by his side. "Any second now, they'll start slobbering all over each, apologizing, and pledging their devotion anew. They probably have the type of marriage based on the physical attraction that comes from hating a person. Typical marital row, nevertheless."

Even Xelloss blushed a vibrant bright red. He struggled to correct the man's interpretation as the whole crowd began nodding their heads and noisily agreeing with him. "I–her–we're not–we're completely–incompatible–wrong–"

Filia, though thoroughly embarrassed, saw the opportunity to work the situation to her advantage for once. "Well, Xelloss, I see any hope of us being able to work responsibly together–"Her color flared again at the accidental choice of word. "I mean, for us to work maturely as a team is an impossible feat that I am utterly wasting my time upon, so..." She paused and pushed out a rather tense, "Goodbye."

She vanished.

"Ahh, one of the rare turns of a relationship of this type!" proclaimed the narrator for what was easily half the town now. "See, instead of the woman's anger abruptly changing into affection.."

The man's voice was muted in the recesses of Xelloss's mind. He was dumbstruck. For the first time, he tasted the bitter poison of his own medicine. And as those who have tasted their own medicine know, it is a thing not easy to swallow. Cyanide would have been a more welcoming. Tar. Foot stench.

The self-proclaimed narrator of his and Filia's little row droned on for more than 10 minutes before the mazoku found his facial muscles working once more, actually forming a smile. He felt his genius for creating chaos or destroying order, whatever you preferred, stirring inside him, his mind already concocting a plan.

Unfortunately, the narrator would have to get what would come to him later.

...ooooooooooooooooooo...

Filia had disappeared from the fight on the verge of being one of the happiest people alive. She experienced a feeling not unlike when one quickly undergoes some miracle in their life. Say, winning a million dollars in a hour or discovering a cure for boredom. That sort of thing. Only, this emotion had not so altruistic basis. It was the kind of feeling experienced when you've peeled off a scab you've loathed to look at for much too long and flicked it off, far far away.

She laughed out load in happiness, dancing a little around the clearing of forest she had transported to. She stopped, hugged herself warmly, and proclaimed, "VICTORY!"

To right the un-rightable wrong. To defeat the undefeatable. To conquer and claim a span of earth that has never been claimed and conquered before. She had finally bested Xelloss. True, she did it in a manner reminiscent of Xelloss himself, stealthy manipulation at precisely the moment, however, concerns of that nature had no place in utter ecstasy.

The world spun around her in delight, but her common sense brought her rapidly down to earth. Xelloss was the only one who knew the way to the lair of the giant slugs (if that even was the true story - though a doubtful one, she could not afford to ignore it, should a shred of it be true and Lina Inverse, who was to avert the great doom that was upon her home, be in danger). If he wasn't there to guide her, it would take so much longer to find Miss Lina and perhaps lead to her..

No, she mustn't think like that, Filia quickly reprimanded herself. Pessimism never got anyone anywhere. Start from square one as she must, she would find Miss Lina and the others and rescue them, if that be the need. No matter how long it took (or how dead she hoped they wouldn't be), she would fulfill that duty, as she said she would.

The only difference, now, was that the journey was going to be so much more pleasant.

...ooooooooooooooooooo...

Filia decided on a plan of action. Or rather, a plan of inaction, as she opted to stay in the town her and Xelloss had reached their breaking point in, gathering more need supplies for the journey and also supplies of another necessary kind..

She soon learned that her stay would be anything but a repose.

After enjoying a libation in one of the many coffeehouses of the town, she found herself on the receiving end of a rather distasteful joke, getting tripped by every customer in the building at the time as she was leaving.

She thought it an unusual occurrence at the time and dismissed it from her mind, but as the day soon proved, the grudge against her was persistent.

Two little boys with the most innocent of faces begged her for some money and told her she was a kind sweet lady..and that she didn't look 46 in human years at all.

A snake somehow managed its way into her basket, ending up in a rather interesting scenario once she retired to the room she was renting for the night and emptied her vessel.

An already half-drunk man asked to buy her a drink.

These incidents, while perhaps coincidental, had a slight touch of a sense of humor she knew well. It was possible she pointed the finger at an entirely guiltless entity, but she had the uncanny intuition that this was a known perpetrator to her. Adding to the argument was that she had felt a familiar presence at all these encounters. To her knowledge, this person might have been still in the town. In the past, this person had demonstrated their knack for arranging mishaps similar to these.

And a name that she had uttered not too long ago burned upon her lips.

...ooooooooooooooooooo...

A quasi-cliff hanger. Yea, yea, sue me..

Insert standard author apology for not writing and editing this sooner here.

Noticing any difference in the prose of this chapter compared to what I've written previously? Yep, finally starting to experiment a little. I admit, I'm really having a hard time writing this fic. I'm a skit writer by default, plot development and literary talent aren't my agents.

And now my faults have taken up knives and are trying to kill me.

Sigh. A dozen thanks to Mistress DragonFlame. The fact that someone's reading this really does help it go along.


	6. With a Side Order of Extreme Humiliation

The chair shattered under her weight the second she sat down upon it. She fell flat on her lower half, exhaustion having dulled her reflexes

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Miss," the waiter apologized, amid secreting a chuckle. "That's never happened before."

"I'll bet," said Filia, gritting her teeth and pulling herself up by his proffered hand. She sighed and cracked in her back into place while another chair was called. The waiter politely stood behind it to push her further to the table, but she hadn't suffered an exorbitant amount of blows to her dignity that day to be stupid enough to fall for the same trick twice. She firmly pushed down her weight on the chair seat with her hand and smiled grimly when her suspicious proved to be in check.

"I really am sorry, Miss. I realize how this may look, but I assure you, nothing of this sort of thing has ever–" Filia interrupted the now truly flustered waiter.

"It's alright, just bring me another chair please."

The waiter immediately left with another apology to inspect a chair, leaving her to sigh again and rub the pulsing vein in her temple. Satisfaction was not always the sweetest treat. The tirade of attacks had been increasing steadily as she went about the town, preparing for her trip, from morning right up to this afternoon.

As of today, she had been accused of stealing large amount of watermelons when a vendor noticed his missing and instantly spotted them by Filia's side, ostentatiously arranged in a pyramid by her feet; was told by a fortune reader whom she hadn't even paid for a reading that in spite of her unflattering looks, she would find a husband (a horse stall mucker, as she recalled); and was almost trampled when she passed by a pen of some rather hefty pigs, where the gate was secured by a heavy padlock, but mysteriously opened of its own accord to let the pigs barreling out in her direction.

The day had certainly been not one of her luckiest, although memorable, she mused, as the waiter brought back a chair that held together when tested. She was beginning to wonder when the havoc wreaked upon her life would end or if it ever would.

"Xelloss, Xelloss, XELLOSS," she raged silently at the mazoku priest, losing her self-control temporarily and then catching herself. It wouldn't do to blame him when she had no proof at all to confront him with. She wouldn't play his game. When she caught him, _if_ she caught him, he would pay, but until then, she had to just keep herself composed and calm..

Abruptly, the chair under her collapsed.

"NAMAGOMI!!"

...ooooooooooooooooooo...

After a day of misfortune like her own, Filia naturally was ready to call it quits as soon as she picked up a last required item. She walked through the now almost familiar streets, looking for a booth she had spotted earlier that sold large satchels, just what she needed to store all she had bought for her trip. Once she found one to her liking, it was off to her room where she would get some well-deserved rest for her to leave in the morning.

Or so she had hoped. Rather, when she found the particular vendor she was looking for, a small old woman with a friendly countenance, a series of events came into play that would, ultimately, cause her to lose more than a few hours of sleep over for sheer burning rage.

"It's a very strong weave, isn't it?" Filia fingered the large pack, testing the durability of the fabric.

"Oh my, yes, that's a very strong weave. If you're traveling about, it's just the thing to carry your possessions in."

"Well, it definitely seems to suit my purpose then," replied the priestess, smiling despite the weariness she felt. This woman seemed like a congenial soul of sorts. "I'll take it. How much?"

The woman named a fairly reasonable price and began wrapping up the desired item, making some small talk with Filia. Behind the dragon priestess, completely unbeknownst to her, was a quickly becoming odd spectacle: Quite a large frog had been placed upon the furthest end of a wooden staff, where it perched precariously while the staff was slowly and carefully being maneuvered to the region of the her neck.

"It's so lovely to be young," the vendor gabbed, in mind of a few of her own adventures. "When you're young, the world is yours for the exploring and the fun. Never forget that dear, will you?"

Filia began to voice an affable reply when the frog suddenly grew tired of the torpid game of patience and waiting, and jumped from its post, landing upon the dragoness's shoulder. Instincts raw and sharp, she plucked it off instantly, clenching the creature so hard with one hand its eyes nearly popped from its head.

Such a piercing scream had never been heard by most of the townspeople, nor such a rapid dash of escape by a person had ever been seen. It broke the record.

"Wait, you forgot your pack!" The old woman yelled, in an attempt to bring her back, but dust clouds were the only evidence the priestess had been in the street at all. Cautiously, the vendor peered over her table of goods. The frog stared at her, happy to be alive. She looked again in the direction of the young woman, then shrugged and collected the money dolled out on the table.

...ooooooooooooooooooo...

Fear giving her speed usually unknown to her, Filia didn't stop running until she was on the outskirts of the town. She stopped at a wide, matriarchal tree, leaning her weight against it and panting. Unexpectedly, she slammed her fist at its bark, emitting a growl of frustration, as tears involuntary appeared in her eyes.

The blow caused a slight noise of branches and leaves thrashing above her, only to mark the drop from the tree of..

"XELLOSS!"

The priest was curled in a ball upon the grass, laughing so hard he couldn't breath, hitting weakly at the ground with his fist.

...ooooooooooooooooooo...

"I can't BELIEVE you!"

Xelloss scratched his head from his low sitting position on the ground, apparently not all that astonished by his recent actions. "Now, Filia..you're making something out of nothing."

Filia jabbed a whole arm at the town, trying to serrate the air to prove her point. "You call what you did to me back there NOTHING? A FROG, Xelloss, a FROG! Don't you think that's.." She blushed pink at the thought of her recently established phobia. "That's-that's..kind of _low_? Even for _you_?"

"I couldn't just let you walk away, could I?" He smiled in reply.

Filia was near speechless. "You have the vindication of a THREE YEAR OLD!"

"I meant from Lina," Xelloss said, neatly covering his tracks.

The priestess stamped her foot in annoyance as he stood, surveying the land lightly. "That's no excuse to humiliate me like that! Don't give me the, "I did it for Lina" line! I know you would have done it any way, regardless of Miss Lina's peril–"

Xelloss interrupted her. "Well, it's over and done with, and we're once again chit-chatting while Lina could be in the clutches of death itself." He paused, contemplating. "Or perhaps just in absolute fear. In any case, I have a proposal for you, Filia."

He paused again. "Although that chair trick in the restaurant really was quite good, wasn't it?"

"You filthy Namagomi! I can't even believe you, Mazoku scum as you are, would do that!"

Xelloss's eyebrow twitched ever so subtly before he responded.

"Do you wish to hear the proposal, my dear dragoness?"

Filia's glare became slightly more pronounced. "Yes, I do. But, don't 'my dear dragoness' me."

Xelloss smiled once more. "I propose a truce."

The anger upon the priestess's face became pure cynicism. "You have got to be kidding me," she said flatly.

"A temporary truce, of course, but an informal alliance nevertheless." His charisma was the equivalent of a used car salesman's in Filia's view as he fetched a small stick from the ground and began a diagram upon the earth.

"Here is our party to be rescued." He drew four crude stick people in the dirt and a circle around them.

"They are terrorized by a giant slug of magnificent magnitude. Or, at least, the most powerful among them is." A bad drawing that only remotely looked like a slug was placed beside the party to be rescued.

"And then there is you.." The priest's stick hesitated slightly before scraping another stick person to the lower right of the other pictures. "And there is me." Another stick person, opposite Filia's.

"Now, you must go to the party's aid," he said, quickly making a line between Filia and Lina and her gang. "Because Lina is the one who will supposedly fulfill your prophecy."

Filia bit back a retort to the narrow condescension in his tone as made another line between his personage and the party.

"And I, busy as I am, must also lend my services to the party," he continued, re-sketching a bit of the diagram and then standing up once more and looking at her.

Filia waited for him to continue for a long moment. "Well?" she broke into the silence impatiently.

"Well what?"

"Why do you have to help out Miss Lina? It isn't your credo to just help someone out for no reason at all." She eyed him with an expectant look in her eye. His answer..

"That is a secret!"

..was not necessarily a difficult one to predetermine. She scowled at him. He smiled back sweetly in return.

Filia coughed slightly in a gloved fist. "And you drew that elaborate picture board..."

"My artistic side needed some release," he finished.

She sighed. "Alright, Xelloss. We'll agree to a truce until Miss Lina has been rescued. But I do have some terms."

"Naturally," the Mazoku said, with a nod.

"First, NO pulling pranks like you did back there." A slight smirk appeared on his face at the mention of his handiwork, but Filia ignored it as best she could.

"Second, no disappearing on me without due notice."

Xelloss's face dropped slightly on mockingly perfect cue, emitting a small noise of disappointment.

"And third," Filia's voice became a touch more strangled. "You have to be honest and share with me what you know of Miss Lina's kidnaping or with anything else concerning this matter."

"Do you intend to keep these same conditions, my dearest Filia?" Xelloss asked.

Slightly annoyed with the endearment, she extended her hand sourly. "Yes."

They shook on the matter for as little time as possible. Filia turned to leave with a slight sigh, but before she could, Xelloss pulled another card from up his sleeve.

"So you're ready to tell me why you can't transform into a dragon then?"

The dragoness turned to face him again, her face livid. She swallowed hard, angry he had more ammunition to her name, but mumbled a reply, glaring fiercely.

Xelloss cupped his ear, leaning towards her. "What's that? I couldn't hear you."

She said nothing, features emulating those of a volcano about to erupt.

Xelloss leaned further toward her. "Sorry, still can't hear you!"

"...IT'S THAT TIME OF THE MONTH, YOU-"

"Ahha.." The priest put a finger to his chin, as if truly contemplating this news instead of reveling in Filia's fury.

"Don't act like you didn't know, _Namagomi_," she hissed at him before turning again to leave towards the setting sun.

"Don't sleep late," he called after her, grinning from ear to ear to himself.

...ooooooooooooooooooo...

See? No big mystery about Filia's inability to transform, people! The curse comes to every woman, human and non-human alike. Makes you just weep for menopause, doesn't it?

And now for something completely different..

I'M READY TO SOB MY EYES OUT. I recently finished the Try series of Slayers. Is it just me or does anyone else get slight tear in the heart when a season ends? No exaggeration here - I actually get a pain in my chest. I don't cry (yeah, a little embellishment on that small detail there..), as I would if I lost someone dear to me, I just get a heavy ache that will dissipate in about two-three days.

I really don't know what is it. Perhaps it's because I feel so close to the characters sometimes? You gotta admit, when you watch certain anime that fit you like a soul mate, it's like looking over friends and saying goodbye to them every time a season ends. I may be just addressing the hardcore otaku here, however, there's a chance this feeling is more widespread than I think..

..Or I could just upset about the way Try ended. Okay, Valgaav's going to be reborn, world is safe from danger, odd-looking otherworlder has just left with Gourry's Sword of Light, CIAO! What the hell?!? Can't you all just sit down for five minutes and reminisce about the "good ol' times" or something? Can we down some sake in celebration? Pull a firecracker? Claim victory in hand gesture? No. We gotta leave this very instant, dammit - Goodbye, Filia, have a nice life; Xelloss, I have no doubt we'll see you around sometime.

Yeah, I'm an angry fan. Enough though of my ranting. It's time for..

...ooooooooooooooooooo...

GODZILLA-PORTIONED SMOTHERING LOVE AND PLEDGED ADORATION FOR REVIEWERS:

Oh, God! I love you all so much! I want hug each and every one of you til your eyes pop out of your heads and you have 6" waists! Wait..I feel a song coming on..I BELIEVE I CAN FLY. I BELIEVE I CAN TOUCH THE SKY–

Ahem..reviewer comments typed with the author's now ego-inflated fingers:

**Charatka: **GOOD! Good things get better with time. If they got worse, this would be a horrible story. Even if this was a so-so story and continued to be..eh, it still wouldn't be good. So..GOOD! Arigato! And are you feeling better, I hope?

**Bluediamond:** You win the most wonderful reviewer award! Thank you, thank you, thank you! (MUCHO gracias, I think it is in Spanish..) I am forever indebted to your kindness and humorous commentary. I agree with you - we need more stories where Filia kicks some Mazoku-butt sometimes (figuratively speaking, of course). Sorry the cat thought you were demented. You know he's going to look at you strange for a year now. And don't worry, I'll keep true to the story (and resist the urge to declare, "What story!" right now..). Hopefully, you snagged this chapter before you went to Australia. If not, eh, perhaps you'll get a 2 chapter deal when you return.

P.S. What country are you from?

**foxyandredpandy: **I'm keeping the faith, sister! (I assume?) And I think they're metaphors, although you might want to check that up yourself since I don't have the best memory when it comes to grammar..ehehe..

**Mistress DragonFlame: **Yes, yes! I owe it all to you! Look at the fire you have ignited! People are getting drawn to my story like flies to sticky tape. BWAHAHA! (Yeah, I'm really grateful for your reviews.)

Ahh, you know Xelloss. He can probably manipulate a tree to grow into the ground if he held out his patience, so the town was most likely a blow-over. I'll pretend I actually thought about how he did it. And how about that plot starting to form, eh? Hehe.

Once again, thanks.

**Cooking Spray:** Wow, now there's a neat screenname! (Tell me you strained your brain over that one.) Thanks for the encouragement! Even if it takes me a month to produce each chapter, I'll keep up the fight.

...ooooooooooooooooooo...

Hope you had an edible Thanksgiving!


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